The worst room in the house, hands down, is my bedroom. I figure it’s a.) upstairs, and b.) I’m the only one who has to see it. But even the messiest of messy perfectionists can only take so much.

I decided to finally tackle the clothes piled on the ironing board, the unmade bed and general unkempt disaster area yesterday. Never one to keep things simple, I decided while I was at it, I’d put away the winter clothes and bring out the summer clothes.

Sure. I may be a little early – temperatures aren’t expected to break 70 within the next two weeks – but there’s something about finally putting away all the heavy sweaters and turtlenecks and all things made of wool or stuffed with down.

I rather enjoy bringing out the season’s clothes. The feeling of re-discovering that favorite shirt or finding that pair of shorts you forgot you bought on sale at last summer’s end. That’s the easy part.

Then there’s the other part. The part that questions why you still hold on to the T-shirt that no longer looks good on you – or even on the hanger, for that matter. Or why you wash, iron and re-hang that pair of pants that’s really too tight, while insisting you’ll lose those five pounds and slink right back into them.

It’s a bit curious that something as seemingly mundane as switching out the clothes of the season can also reflect those quirky parts of our personalities as it relates to our ability to accept change.

You’ve probably heard the widely believed notion that emotional and physical excess or clutter must be cleared in order to make room for more or better – that empty spaces, whether in our clothes closets or our minds, are actually a good thing.

Perhaps that’s something that’s easier said than done. It’s easy to imagine ridding your closet of clothes that no longer fit, are out of style, or make you feel good when you wear them. It’s an entirely different scenario to hold that shirt in your hand and make the conscious choice to let go of it.

Just like everyday life, letting go is more difficult than holding on to things that no longer serve us. So maybe the best place to practice is in the closet (no, I don’t condone hiding in the closet).

Here’s a fairly painless way to start. As you switch out your clothes, have two bags or boxes on hand, in addition to your storage boxes.(Warning! Do not skip this step by telling yourself you’ll put them into piles and deal with it later. Trust me on this one.) Dedicate one bag for clothes that are faded, torn or otherwise unwearable. Assign the other bag to hold clothes that no longer serve you, but could be worn by someone else. (Remember the adage that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.)

The next step is sheer genius – and one I can’t take credit for dreaming up. As you hang up the clothes, hang them facing the back of the closet. As you wear them, hang them facing the door. At the end of the season, anything still hanging backward will send a clear message – it hasn’t been worn all season. (Clearly, you’ll know what to do with these clothes.)

My favorite example of letting go came at the end of last season. For years (no kidding) I’d held onto a ratty old T-shirt. It was so large that I’d never worn it outside of the house, but boy was it perfect to sleep in. It practically came down to my knees and wrapped me with a warm sense of comfort whenever I wore it.

I wore it so much that the neckline had begun to tear away from the body of the T-shirt. Little holes had popped up on the sleeves and around the bottom hem. The truth was, whenever I put that shirt on, I was wearing a rag.  Nevertheless, the choice to toss it out was more than a little painful.

As I pulled out the spring and summer clothes yesterday, I found myself looking for that trusty old shirt, thinking surely I hadn’t gotten rid of it! As I emptied the last storage box, I was forced to face the fact that I’d indeed let go of it last season.

Honestly, I was starting to feel a little empowered. I found myself questioning the worthiness of each item before I decided which box it would be stored in. Believe it or not, I’m getting rid of quite a bit!

Certainly, letting go is the hard part. But there’s always an upshot, too. By clearing out, making space, I’ll be making room for something new and accepting, yes, embracing, change. Even if it’s only in my closet.